This invention relates to ostomy bags and like drainage bags, and in particular to bags for which the contents can be disposed of more readily and hygienically by flushing down a W.C.
Ostomy bags for receiving bodily waste from colostomy or ileostomy patients are well known and a major problem with such bags is that it can be difficult to dispose of the used bag in a convenient and hygienic manner.
Often, the contents of used bags are removed by cutting an edge of the bag and depositing the contents into a W.C. for flushing away, leaving the soiled bag for separate disposal, e.g. by incineration or by wrapping and placing in a waste bin. Disposal of a used bag and its contents in this way is clearly unhygienic and unpleasant for the user and, in recognition of this problem, various proposals have been made for ostomy bags which can be flushed down a W.C.:- see for example GB-A-2083762, EP-A-0388924, GB-A-2227668, and GB-A-2193925.
However the ostomy bags currently available suffer from certain drawbacks. Firstly, due to the buoyancy and relative bulk of the bags, it is often difficult to flush them down the W.C. Secondly, in order to ensure that the bag is sufficiently strong and waterproof to withstand the rigours of use, materials have been used which do not decompose readily, if at all, in the sewerage system, thereby giving rise to a pollution problem.